CEO Bill Edwards

When Bill Edwards, CEO of Mortgage Investors Corp and owner of the Club at Treasure Island, moved around the ballroom inside the Renaissance Vinoy resort, the audience members asked him about his plans for downtown. There were questions about BayWalk. According to Edwards, they are still reviewing retail operations, new tenants, new designs — and, no, an Apple Computer store may not be part of the newly renovated retail location.

When asked about what influence Edwards might have on downtown’s pier, he side-stepped any involvement, commenting that it is a government task. Many in downtown St. Petersburg are concerned that the architect’s design has overlooked parking, a major issue for both residents and tourists.

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For the Mahaffey Theater, a donor-funded performing arts center, the transformation from venerated to viable is almost complete.

With more than $2 million in upgrades, the older downtown gem was launched in 2011 with a sense
of Hollywood and Broadway sparkle.

Bill Edwards is part of the management team through another of the entrepreneur’s group of companies, Big 3 Entertainment. With his concert promoter and recording company background, and with an executive, Joe Santiago, recruited by Edwards from Las Vegas, the Mahaffey has a more interesting horizon.